Approved by the Maine EMS Medical Direction and Practices Board.

Intranasal Naloxone Administration Training Module

for Law Enforcement Officers and Firefighters

06/24/2014 Update 02/2016

Objectives

• By the end of this course the participants will learn about intranasal naloxone and will be able to:• Recognize the signs and symptoms of an overdose• Be able to prepare and administer intranasal

Naloxone• Identify the possible responses to intranasal

Naloxone• Describe how continued support should be provided

to the overdose victim

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5 MRSA §2353.3 (effective 4/29/14)

Law enforcement officers and municipal firefighters, in accordance with their agency/municipality policies, may administer intranasal naloxone as clinically indicated if the officer or firefighter has received medical training as adopted by the Medical Direction and Practices Board. (paraphrased)

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Agency/Municipal Responsibilities

• Establish a policy regarding administration of intranasal naloxone by law enforcement officers / firefighters, including:– Documentation of completion of MDPB approved

training– Agency specific supplemental training– Agency specific policies/procedures/general

orders

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When is intranasal Naloxone used?• Bystanders should have contacted EMS (Dial 911) or sent for help

and provided respiratory support (rescue breathing) to the best of ability.

• Use of intranasal Naloxone is for when the person is not responsive to reverse narcotic effects (opiates and opioids).

• Narcotics cause respiratory depression (slowed breathing), which causes low oxygen to the brain and may cause brain injury or death.

• An unresponsive person whose gag reflex is not fully functioning may vomit, which can then get into the lungs causing aspiration, which can lead to illness and possible death.

• Quickly reversing the overdose may save lives.

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Opiates and Opioids• Chemicals that act in the brain to:• Decrease feeling of pain• Decrease the reaction to pain• Provide comfort

• May be used for pain from injury or after having procedures done (surgery) or as part of long term care for cancer or other terminal diseases.

• Both opiates and opioids are often misused.

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Narcotics (opiates and opioids)• Heroin• Buprenorphine (Suboxone)• Butorphanol (Stadol)• Codeine• Fentanyl (duragesic patch)• Hydrocodone (Vicodin*)• Hydromorphone (Dilaudid)• Meperidine (Demerol)

• Morphine• Nalbuphine (Nubain)• Oxycodone

(Percocet*/Percodan†)• Oxymorphone• Pentazocine (Talwin)• Paregoric• Propoxyphene

(Darvon)

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Use / Misuse / Abuse

• After prolonged use of these substances increasing amounts are needed for the same effects.

• Common side effects include:• Nausea and vomiting• Drowsiness• Itching • Dry mouth• Small pupils

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Naloxone is only effective with opiates and opioids

Naloxone will not reverse the effects of other medications/drugs, such as: benzodiazepines (Valium/Versed), cocaine, LSD, ecstasy, bath salts, tranquilizers, methamphetamines, and

marijuana.

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Addiction and Treatment Drugs• Methadone is an opioid which may be used as a pain reliever,

but is also commonly prescribed in addiction treatment.• Suboxone and Subutex are brand names for the opioid

buprenorphine, which may be used as a pain reliever, but is also commonly prescribed in addiction treatment. Suboxone comes in film strips and tablet form.

• These drugs last a long time and can help reduce the craving for opiate and opioids.

• Methadone and buprenorphine are never used alone as the sole plan for treatment of addiction, but are used in combination with counseling and skill learning efforts.

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Who’s at High Risk for Overdose?

• Individuals abusing medical visits and care from multiple doctors who are not following instructions about prescription use

• Users of prescriptions that should belong to others• Users who inject drugs for greater effects• Former users who are recently released from prison

or who are entering and exiting from drug treatment programs

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Who else is at risk?

• Elderly patients using opiates or opioids for pain• Patients using pain relieving patches incorrectly• Patients co-prescribed opioids and benzodiazepines• Patients co-prescribed opioids and anti-depressants• Patients on opioids who consume alcohol• Children who accidentally take pain-killers in their

homes or the homes of others

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Intranasal Naloxone• Naloxone (Narcan) is

an antidote that can reverse overdose of opioids/opiates.

• Naloxone is NOT effective against respiratory depression due to non-opioid drugs (or other causes).

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Why Intranasal Naloxone?

• Very low risk of exposure to blood (no needle)

• Can be administered quickly and with little training

• Onset of action is quick• Very effective when used

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Works quickly since the

nose has a large area

for absorbing

drugs directly into

the blood stream.

Intranasal Naloxone

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Why is it used with an Atomizer?

Squirting the liquid drug as a fine mist covering more of the surface, like

spray paint or hair spray

increases entry into the

bloodstream.

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What does an overdose look like?• The person is:–Not responsive when shaken–Possibly not breathing well or not breathing at

all –Possibly breathing less than 6 breaths per

minute– Snoring deeply/gurgling sounds –Possibly having a bluish color of the skin, nails

or lips– Small pupils

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When to use intranasal Naloxone?• If a person is not responding to you.• If bystanders report drug use and the person

is not responding to you.• If there are drug bottles, or signs of injection

of drugs on the skin (“track marks”) and the person is not responding to you.

• Call 911 to activate Emergency Services

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Option 1: Adult Nasal Atomizer Use

• Administer Naloxone 1.0mg (1/2 tube) nasally with the atomizer. Wait 1 minute to see if this is effective. If not, administer the second half in the other nostril.

• EMS Providers: follow Maine EMS protocols for your license level.

• If you know how and have the appropriate equipment, you may provide rescue breathing for the person

• Consider contacting poison control if other poisons are suspected : (800) 222-1222

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Nasal Atomizer Use

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Preparation: Step 1

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Preparation: Step 2

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Preparation: Step 3

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Preparation: Step 4

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One Luer Attached Atomizer

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Administration (non-EMS)

• Assemble kit• Gently, but firmly, place the atomizer in one

side of the nose and spray half the medication• Wait one minute. If the patient is still not

breathing adequately, spray the other half in the other side.

• If only one side of the nose is available, put all of the medication on that side

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Option 2: NARCAN NASAL SPRAY

• FDA Approved• Set single dose • No Assembly• High concentration

• Approved by The Maine EMS Medical Direction and Practices Board(MDPB) February, 2016

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http://www.narcannasalspray.com/helpful-resources/

Administration

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• Remove NARCAN Nasal Spray from the box. Peel back the tab with the circle to open the NARCAN Nasal Spray.

• Hold the NARCAN nasal spray with your thumb on the bottom of the plunger and your first and middle fingers on either side of the nozzle.

• Gently insert the tip of the nozzle into either nostril. – Tilt the person’s head back and provide support under the neck with your hand. Gently

insert the tip of the nozzle into one nostril, until your fingers on either side of the nozzle are against the bottom of the person’s nose.

• Press the plunger firmly to give the dose of NARCAN Nasal Spray.– Remove the NARCAN Nasal Spray from the nostril after giving the dose.

• If additional NARCAN Nasal Sprays are available, repeat every 2 to 3 minutes until the person responds or emergency medical help is received.

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EMS providers

• Follow Maine EMS Prehospital Treatment Protocols

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Administration

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What happens next?

• Naloxone works by temporarily withdrawing the affect of the opiate.

• The goal is to have the patient able to breath on their own.

• The withdrawal of the opiate effect may cause sweating, sneezing, confusion.

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Safety Considerations

• The adverse effects following naloxone administration, particularly in chronic opioid users and abusers, may place the patient and bystanders at risk.

• Consider moving sharp/heavy objects and physically restraining patient in anticipation of combative behavior.

• Keep bystanders at a safe distance.

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Safety Considerations• Naloxone’s duration of action is relatively brief

(as short as 30 minutes)• The duration of action for narcotics can be very

long (as long as a day)• All patients who receive naloxone must be

monitored closely for recurrent symptoms, including altered mental status, respiratory depression, and circulatory compromise

• Patients may need another dose of naloxone

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Adverse Reactions• In some cases intranasal naloxone may cause:• Withdrawal symptoms• Agitation / violent behavior• Fast heart rate• “Goose bumps”• Yawning• Nausea / Vomiting / Seizures• High blood pressure or Low blood pressure

• Fear of causing withdrawal should not prevent use when the person is unresponsive

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Children can also overdose:• When an opioid overdose is suspected in a

child use less of the liquid and repeat if needed:• Very small child: use one quarter in each side of

the nose and consider using the other half in five minutes if the ambulance has not arrived and the child is still unresponsive

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ChildrenRemember, children have smaller noses and some of the drug may run out of the nose and down the back of the throat. This will not do any harm.

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Skills Practice• Given a scenario:–Prepare a intranasal Naloxone atomizer using

the required equipment–Demonstrate administration of intranasal

Naloxone on an adult intubation head–Demonstrate as well as explain how you

would provide continued support–Always request Emergency Medical Services,

dial 91106/24/2014 Update 02/2016

Course Summary• What we learned:• Why intranasal Naloxone is available as an option

for bystanders who witness overdose• What an opioid overdose looks like• The reasons that justify use of intranasal

Naloxone• How to prepare an intranasal Atomizer• How and when to use the intranasal Atomizer

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Credits and Acknowledgements

Northern New England Poison CenterMaineGeneral Medical CenterVT EMS/VDH/DPSOhio DPS/EMSCentral MA EMS Corp.Northwestern Medical Center 06/24/2014 Update 02/2016

References

• Federal Drug Administration www.fda.gov • US Centers for Disease Control www.cdc.gov • Northern New England Poison Center

www.nnepc.org • www.drugs.com• http://www.narcannasalspray.com/

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